Beyond - Legends Perfection (Shards) [vignette, Tycho Celchu remembers Alderaan]

Title: Perfection (Shards)
Author: Abeja
Timeframe:EU, 10 ABY
Genres: Angst, Drama
Keywords: Tycho Celchu, Alderaan, family
Characters: Tycho Celchu and in a secondary role Wedge Antilles
Summary: Tycho Celchu remembers his homeworld Alderaan ten years after its destruction.
Disclaimer:I don't own anything, everything belongs to Lucasfilm Ltd.

 

Perfection (Shards)

---

[i]Prologue[/i]

The lady, who was sitting at the bar, was still young, most certainly not past twenty years.
Her dark red hair was tied back in an elegant braid and her blue eyes sparkled in the light of a lamp. Many young men watched her every move, as did the man in the corner, but while the first group had quite obvious reasons for doing so, the man was lost in thoughts of another kind.
He watched her decline charming and impolite invitations, until a clean-shaven young man arrived, who took her hand and left the crowd with her in tow.
The man watched silently over the rim of his Ale glass, but his blue eyes were far away in deep thoughts.
Hadn?t he been like that once?
Striving for perfection- always trying to prove the others that he was capable of fulfilling their expectations- yes?and thinking that he could take the world on alone?
You couldn?t call the man old- no, he was most likely not past his early thirties and quite good-looking with fine blond hair and almost penetrating blue eyes.
But it was the look in those eyes, which made the viewer take a second look.
If the young man?s eyes had been full of confidence and self-assurance, the older man?s eyes were full of shadows and dark truths.
The man shook his head, paid his drinks and left.
For a second, all eyes were on him, but a few moments later they had all returned to their drinks, forgetting about the haunted eyes and their owner.

[hr]
tbc soon

 

Awww!
Perfectly fits to Tycho.

His sad eyes...

Great prologue..

COming more soon??

 

If the young man?s eyes had been full of confidence and self-assurance, the older man?s eyes were full of shadows and dark truths

Just lovely!

 

Fascinating start. Be good to bring Winter in on the story. She's not featured enough IMO.

 

Very enjoyable!

 

Outstanding beginning; you've captured Tycho "full of shadows and dark truth".

There is too little pilot fic on the boards; your stories help fill that void. I eagerly wait for more of your story.

 

Oh my...so many reviews. Thank you! You have no idea how happy I am, that someone likes this story!


Rosa: Yeah, poor Tycho with his sad eyes.... Thanks for stopping by and leaving me the review and thanks for pointing out the mistake with the hair!

Jade_Pilot: Oh thank you. I am very grateful for your review, since you're a great author (my honest opinion here) and I have loved reading some of your stories..

Jade_eyes:Thanky you very much for the review. I am afraid, Winter isn't in here this time. Tycho has to suffer alone. But I agree, she isn't in many stories on this board. However, I have actually written a story about these two and I am thinking about publishing it...Lol.

star_writer24: Thank you for the feedback! I was so afraid at the beginning, that I wouldn't get any reviews for that, but I did- thank you again!

Demon28:Thank you. That's a big compliment, that I help filling the void. There are really too few pilot stories.

 

Part 1

Tycho wandered aimlessly through Coruscant?s dark streets.
He wondered, why the useful side effects of the alcohol weren?t starting to show themselves yet. He had downed at least two Alderaanian ales and some Whyren?s Reserves, but no pleasant drunken haze and no loss of his situational awareness threatened to overwhelm him.
Instead, he felt clearer than ever.
Why couldn?t he simply forget?
Hadn?t he tried everything today?
Wedge had wanted to give him leave today, but Tycho had refused.
Wedge had argumented, that pushing away the memories and feelings wouldn?t help him.
Then Tycho had snapped and had yelled at his commander- at his best friend- that he was perfectly capable of coping with his emotions.

Tycho was ashamed. Now, sitting here on the park bench, where his lonely path had taken him, he knew, that he had probably hurt Wedge with his words.
Wedge had looked shocked and hurt for the split of a second, but then he had ordered Tycho with a calm voice, while everyone else in the hangar had watched open-mouthed, to take leave for the rest of the day.
That had been in the late afternoon.
Now, it was late in the evening and Tycho was still outside.

He had tried to work hard, so he would forget, he had tried to drown himself in alcohol, so he would forget- but it hadn?t worked.The truth was, he reflected miserably, as he sat there on the park bench, that he was only inches away from breaking down completely.
The truth was, that everytime he saw the letter ?A? somewhere, his mind would form the letters ?lderaan? and he was all shaken up again. The truth was, that Wedge had been right.

He had lost, completely lost the control over his flying, and was now tumbling down from the sky, falling- and crashing.
Had it really been ten years now?
Mia would be 33, perhaps married with a bunch of little kids, who would ride on his shoulders: ?Quicker, uncle Tycho! Quicker!?, and he would obey laughing?
Skoloc would be in his mid-twenties, a well-mannered, handsome guy, who would be loved by the women and cursed by the other young men?
Perhaps he would proudly present his latest invention, which would help Mum clean the stairs, because her knees had gotten worse? or he would be a great man in the ship building business? After all, he had always liked to tinker with roboters and ships.

Or would he, Tycho, still be an Imperial if they all had survived?If it all hadn?t happened?
He wasn?t sure, but even the vision scared him.Would he now proudly stand at attention while Captain bars would be fastened at his grey uniform? Would he ever have met Wedge, Wes, Hobbie-again- and Corran- and if so, only as their enemy? So many whys and ifs?

He would most likely get cake sent from his mother to his posts, if she were still alive.
She had always made the best cake.
But-had it really been a taste of his almonds on his tongue whenever he had eaten it?
Hadn?t she always used hazelnuts for the dough?
Or had she??

Tycho tried to recall that particular taste on his tongue, but he failed.
The loving words, which she had always sent with the cake together with an actual holo of the whole family- yes, he remembered those.
But her cake- how could he have forgotten how she had used to make it?
It was silly, really, to be that upset about a plain cake?s ingredients, but Tycho felt in that moment, as if he had forgotten a vital piece of his life.

Why couldn?t he remember? It was the same, sometimes, with his memories of them.
As the years went by, he had noticed, that they had faded somehow- like old holos in his head.
Irrational anger bubbled up in him, only to dissolve in an old, continuous dull pain.
Why them? Why Alderaan?
They had been so peaceful- so amicable.

A great Alderaanian philospher, whom Tycho had admired when he had been younger, had once voiced his doubts about Alderaan?s pacifism:
?Pacifism is a great achievement, that is true. But is it a good idea for a sheep to come out of its hiding, when it is surrounded by wolves? Won?t they laugh at its show of innocence and rip it

 

nice to see a Tycho story
think you captured his feelings of loss pretty good
and Wedge is a smart man ? sure he is right about him, he had experienced also the loss of his family

it?s also great to see another German native here in Beyond

 

soon the German will rule here

Wondeful chapter

So sad to see Tyhco in this state

And perfectly captured his feelings and thoughts.
And poor Wedge, he is right, I'm sure h knows pretty good what Tycho is feeling.

 

Maggy:Thanks for your review!

think you captured his feelings of loss pretty good
Huh- I am relieved that you think I managed to capture his character well- Tycho is a hard character to write and I am always afraid that he is behaving OOC.
Find ich auch. (I think so too)

Rosa:

soon the German will rule here

......

Thanks for the feedback, Rosa!

So sad to see Tyhco in this state

Yeah, it will get even worse...



Thank you very much you two!

---

*Abeja*

P.S: If you want me to PM you, just tell me[face_wink]

 

Part 2

The evening had progressed further and the bartenders let their last guests out in the dark night, most of them relied on the legs of their companions to be stronger than their own ones.
However, the speeder traffic in Coruscant's main traffic lanes and in the abysses between the large skyscrapers was still heavy.
Everything was as usual, except for the worried frown, that was firmly present on Wedge's face.
The commander of Rogue Squadron stood in front of one of the large durasteel windows in the briefing room and gazed out in the dark night.
Quiet footsteps came closer and Wedge looked up to see Hobbie stand next to him.
For a moment, they were both quiet.
Finally, Hobbie said: "Don't worry about him, Wedge. He is a big boy."
"Sure he is, but he was so distraught earlier...I shouldn't have provoked him."
"You didn't do anything wrong, Wedge. He was like that the whole day- you were just the trigger for his outburst."
"I guess so."
"He won't do anything fatal, Wedge, trust me."
Hobbie hesitated slightly. "Sometimes, when the cracks are running too deep, the ship will get damaged and it will crash.
But then a short visit at the maintenance bay does help...I think."
Hobbie clasped Wedge's shoulder briefly.
"I am going off to bed."
Wedge nodded and gazed motionless at Coruscant's night life, hoping that Tycho's "maintenance" was alright.

---

The blond man was still sitting on the park bench. He had forgotten to count the hours.
Alderaan...Home...In those moments he missed it more than ever.
Home- home was lost for him. And it hurt, hurt,hurt.

Green meadows, a child?s fresh laughter, a father?s voice shouting:
?Now where are you hiding, little rascal? Mum?s upset about the cake!"
And quieter: ?However, I can understand you. It really tasts wonderful!?
Falling in the lake, because Skoloc had pushed him,
weaving floral wreaths for Mia, a smile, a laugh, tears in his room, Grandmother, Grandfather?s tales, brawling with Billy, because he had insulted Mia?s braids?the forest, where had sat for hours, enjoying the sun while laying on the rooftop, the first girl he?d ever dated: she had had blue eyes and brown hair with a lot of freckles on the nose, and her hair had always gotten in his mouth when he had kissed her;
a sunset at the lake, riding on wild cows, sea, lake, sunset, siblings, icecream, flying, stars, a hammock between two trees, butterflies?he couldn?t take it anymore.

What finally made him lose it, was the big news speeder, which flew over his head. Over a loud speaker, a voice announced:
[b]?Today, 10 years ago, the planet Alderaan was destroyed by the Empire. Let us all remember the dead and honour their memories??[/b]
A holocam showed the beautiful blue planet and the Death Star, from the perspective of a TIE?s camera.
Green beams gathered at one point and hit the planet. Tycho couldn?t move. He watched the beam hit the planet and it shattered in thousand pieces.
[i]Mia, Mum, Skoloc, Dad, Nyiestra?[/i]
The power of the beam had overloaded the planet?s own shield.
Tycho sagged down on the bench, broken.
The voice continued:[b] ?Well, we have a specialist here.Dr. Fand, what?s your opinion??[/b]
Then, the speeder disappeared behind some skyscrapers.

Tycho felt a scream build up somewhere in his stomach and finally break free, until his throat was raw and sore from screaming ? and then the tears came in quiet rivulets.
Everything around him was just a blur of tears and salt- and somewhere, deep inside, where he had still some control left, he wondered how odd it must look for anybody, who happened to pass by, to see this normally so composed man sit there on the bench and sob for his mother, like a little lost boy.


[hr]

Thanks for reviews![face_wink]
*Abeja*

 

The feelings of loss really rang true. I've lost both my Father and Little Brother. Sometimes it is really hard to remember what made them, well them. Then a smell (cigarette smoke for Dad), a taste (Carne Asasne for Lil Bro), or a feeling will cause the memories to rush back.

You are doing a great job of showing Tycho's grief; he really is a hard character to capture as there is so little of his ordeal in the profic.

Loved how Hobbie reassured Wedge that Tyco won't do anything fatal. Maintenance indeed for the cracks in the ship.

Looking forward to next installment. By the way, your English is better that some of the native born!

 

Awesome!!!! That was perfect if did one from Leia's perspective or Winter's they would complement this piece.
JR

 

Oh...I've fallen behind in your story. What a wonderful insight into Tycho. I have a special place in my heart for the pilots of Star Wars and you've written him so wonderfully.

The section about Tycho's mum's cake was particularly poignant, Abeja.

Favorite moment: "Everything around him was just a blur of tears and salt- and somewhere, deep inside, where he had still some control left, he wondered how odd it must look for anybody, who happened to pass by, to see this normally so composed man sit there on the bench and sob for his mother, like a little lost boy."

Well done!

 

This is so sad.

Wedge and Hobbie would really believe in Tycho, he's so calm all the time.

"Everything around him was just a blur of tears and salt- and somewhere, deep inside, where he had still some control left, he wondered how odd it must look for anybody, who happened to pass by, to see this normally so composed man sit there on the bench and sob for his mother, like a little lost boy."

I second Jade_Pilot with that.

Great update and waiting for more, I can't stand the our Rogue in such a modd.

 

Demon28:
I am so sorry, Demon28. I really am.
I don't know what it is like to lose someone so dear, I've lost my grandmother but that's not the same.

Thanks, that you think, Tycho is acting believable.
By the way, your English is better that some of the native born!
Wow- - thank you. Honestly, that means a lot to me.

---

[b]JainaRox:[/b]
[i]Awesome!!!! That was perfect if did one from Leia's perspective or Winter's they would complement this piece. [/i]
Thank you for your review. I am sorry, but Winter or Leia don't appear in here.
Hope you like it nevertheless!

[hr]
[b]
Jade_Pilot:[/b]

Yeah, I love them too, especially the fab Four....
[i]What a wonderful insight into Tycho. I have a special place in my heart for the pilots of Star Wars and you've written him so wonderfully.[/i]
Wow, thanks.[face_blush]
I wanted him to remember the cake, as a seemingly meaningless detail, but nevertheless an important one- a significant memory of his mother.
Thanks again!

[hr]
[b]
Rosa:[/b]

Aw, don't cry[face_wink] . I even have a tissue for you[face_good_luck]
Yes, Tycho is a calm one- but how does the saying go? Silent waters are deep.
More coming today! Thanks for the feedback.

[hr]

Some [face_hugs]for you all! You truly are great people!

*Abeja*

 

Part 3:

It got colder in the park. Fog rose up from the little bushes, surrounding the lone park bench.
A Bothan couple argued loudly in the distance, but the man didn't hear them.
He stared motionless on the ground, drawing circles in the mud with a stick, tears still running over his cheeks, blurring his vision.
Big circle, little circle, big circle, little circle...

Get some control over yourself, flight officer!

The voice sounded remarkably like his former flying instructor at the Academy, Soontir Fel.
But Tycho couldn't- wouldn't! obey and so he just sat there, shoulders heaving with muffled sobs and tears falling freely. He drew the knees to his chest and buried his head in them.

Then he realized, that he must have nodded off, because he found himself suddenly to be standing in the kitchen next to his mother.He looked around in wonder, seeing the holo of the whole family hang at its usual place, where he had last seen it, when he had been home.
Still shaken, he whipped his head around, when he heard his mother talking to him.
"...so, since you are leaving for the Academy tomorrow, I have made you your favorite cake for your 18th lifeday now already."
He heard his own voice, which sounded a great deal younger than now, reply: "Thank you, Mum." Tycho turned around slowly- and was met with the sight of himself, as a 17-years-old.
Slowly, he started to understand. It was nothing but a memory, one that he couldn't recall properly, but he remembered that day.
It felt weird, watching his younger self interact with his mother- almost as if he was stuck in a holovideo, where one of the main characters was himself.
"Da-da-da." His mother presented the cake with a flourish and the older Tycho grinned absentmindedly, noticing his younger self mimic his expression. His mother had always liked to act a little bit dramatic.

All that, the whole memory felt that real to him, as if he was not just reliving it again, but actually experiencing it now, in that moment.
It's just a memory. Tycho pushed the nagging voice to the back of his mind.
Well, even if it is, it doesn't mean, that I can't enjoy it!

While his mother was busy lightening up the candles on the table, Tycho wandered closer to his younger self and looked at the young soon-to-be-cadet.
He couldn't comprehend how he could have ever been so keen on attending the Imperial Academy and support the Empire.
Even the thought of the Empire made him feel sick right now.
But looking again in the eyes of his younger self, he discovered the same look, that had been present in the young man's eyes in the bar today.
It was recklessness, mixed with the unsconscious knowledge of having a perfect life- which he had thought to be indestructible.
He had had the perfect fiancée- Nyiestra, his angel with the red locks and the laughing eyes; as well as the perfect home- a loving father and a caring mother.
It had also been a perfect home world- oh, when Tycho compared it to other pilots and comrades' homeworld, it had been a green, lush paradise.

Perhaps perfection was something that wasn't meant to last.
So who was he to ask for this perfection to return?
Perhaps it was had been meant to happen like that, even if Tycho found that hard to believe.
Maybe he was just selfish for asking: "Why me? Why me out of all people?"
But who was he to judge destiny? Others had had it rough as well; Wedge has lost his parents, when their fuel station, had been blown up by pirates who had wanted to escape the Corellian Security and took off without disconnecting the lines first.
Hobbie didn't like to talk about his home life, but what Tycho had found out once, was that both his mother and his sister had been killed by the Empire.
Wes- well, Tycho didn't know much about his earlier life, just that he was from Tanaab and had joined the Tierfon Yellow Aces. He probably didn't want to talk about it- they all didn't like to talk about it- but today...

Tycho gulped. At least they have some relatives or old schoolfriends left somewhere i

 

very nice start

 

This was so sad and wonderful and funny.
All at the same time.

The memory is so realistic
Poor Tycho

"Yeah, and he could have also been hit by a speeder, which came flying through the window."

, Nothing is inpossible for the Rogues...

Now, someone has to help him.

 

This story just gets better and better. I love your characterization of Tycho and his family.

Favorite moment: Why is this cake heart-shaped?"
"Oh-I know!It's heart-shaped, because we are one big family and we all live in each other's hearts, even if we're far away. So, Dad lives in my heart, and Mum lives in Dad's heart, and Mum lives in Tych's heart and in Mia's and in my heart, and I live in Mia's heart, and Tych lives in my heart, and Mia lives in Tych's heart and Mia lives in my heart, and..."


Just lovely--the little touches you add to this fic!

 

Rosa-Belle:

soon the German will rule here

Rather German speakers ? I?m not German!



Abeja:

what beautiful memories
so sad that the Empire blow the planet up

and ?Sithspawn?? what?s gonna happen?


Great updates

Mags

 

You continue to write an amazing story. The memories of Tycho's family inter-acting together really ring true. More please......

 

SilSolo:
very nice start Thank you!

---

[b]Rosa:[/b]
[i]This was so sad and wonderful and funny.
All at the same time. [/i] That's a lot of emotions, you manage to see there.
Thanks, e-sis[face_grin]
[i]Poor Tycho [face_cry] [/i]
Oh no, don't cry again...tissue: [face_good_luck] Better?[face_wink]
[i]Now, someone has to help him.[/i]
Help is on its way!

[hr]
[i]
This story just gets better and better. I love your characterization of Tycho and his family. [/i]
Thank you, Jade_Pilot!
[i]Just lovely--the little touches you add to this fic! [face_applause] [/i]
[face_blush]. Skoloc is such a cute kid, and I wanted to give him a special line...Glad that you liked it!

[hr]

[b]Maggy:[/b]
[i]Rather German speakers ? I?m not German! [face_grin] [/i]
Austria? Servus, almost-neighbour! I am from Munich, Bavaria[face_grin]
[i]so sad that the Empire blow the planet up [face_sad] [/i]
I agree[face_plain]...The evil Empire!
[i]and ?Sithspawn?? [face_shock]what?s gonna happen? [/i]
You'll see soon enough. I am not that evil, don't worry! [face_hugs]
Thank you!


[hr]

[b]Demon28:[/b][i]
You continue to write an amazing story. The memories of Tycho's family inter-acting together really ring true. More please......[/i]
Thanks again[face_blush]
Oh, I really love writing about Tycho's siblings. I don 't know why, but despite knowing so little about them, I like them very much...
More coming today, 08/01 [face_grin], so around 3 pm in the afternoon...in
(GMT+1:00)...if you want to have it exact[face_wink]
I know I am strange[face_clown]

[hr]

Thank you all[face_hugs]